WHAT IS FQIYF?
The Food Quality Indicators in Yam Foods project (FQIYF) is working to improve the speed and efficiency of screening techniques for new yam varieties in Nigeria. Yam breeders often rely on sensory analysis of yam which is expensive and time consuming and leads to fewer yam varieties being used for specific food products. Lack of yam variety uptake reduces the profitability and sustainability of yam production, threatening the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across Nigeria. FQIYF is therefore identifying and validating the indicators of yam tuber quality to improve methods of yam screening and increase uptake of new yam varieties across Nigeria.
WHAT ARE ITS AIMS?
The project has three main research aims:
- To characterise 100 varieties of yam to identify quality indicators important in the production of boiled yam and amala
- To characterise the physico-chemical properties of yam starch and non-starchy polysaccharides from D. rotundata and D.alata varieties of yam in order to identify food textural quality indicators
- To validate the efficacy of the specific food quality indicators for use in phenotyping quality traits in yam breeding programmes by characterising an additional 100 varieties of yam and developing screening tools to efficiently select lines with good quality attributes
WHO IS DELIVERING FQIYF?
- Bowen University
- Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD)
- National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI)
Dr Bolanle Otegbayo
Project dates:
2015–2019
Crop(s):
Yam
Project focus location(s): Nigeria